The Circus
by LaceyRide
Summary: Fang is part of a traveling circus. Max lives in a small town with her mom. When the circus comes to Max's town will sparks fly? Rated T cuz I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Amazing Grace

_Fang POV_

I watch my sister finish her contortionist act. She puts her black fedora on her with her feet. Then she stands, bows, and walks out of the ring with her usual swagger.

"You were amazing, Grace" I tell her.

She grins "Yup, that's me, amazing Grace!"

I chuckle.

"And introducing… the great lion tamer, Fang!" the loudspeakers announce.

"Good luck!" Grace calls, but I barely hear her because I'm already walking into the ring and forcing myself not to squint from the too bright lights.

My dad gets out of the way and they bring out our circus lion, Charlotte. Charlotte was huge from being overfed by Grace and lazy. But if I was a stranger watching Charlotte sauntering **(A/n: wow, Fang has a big vocabulary, god I sound like an idiot)** towards me I would be placing bets on how soon the poor lion tamer was going to die.

I make Charlotte sit, beg, bow, and dance. The audience claps loudly after every trick.

"-now for the grand finale, we will give you a taste of the wild!" My dad's voice booms through the loudspeakers.

"Speak" I say quietly to Charlotte.

Charlotte slowly walks to the edge of the ring. When she's a yard away she stops and rears up on her back legs and lets out a impossibly loud roar. I smirk at the terrified faces of the people in the front row.

Charlotte gets ready to roar again but I stop her.

"Cage" I order Charlotte.

She turns around and walks back to her cage. Once the crowd realizes Charlotte isn't going to attack them they start cheering again. I bow and leave the ring.

* * *

"Gracie, could you clear the dishes off the table?" My mom asks.

"You know, Mom, you could call me Grace like everyone else" Grace says.

"But I like Gracie so much better!" Mom says.

Grace rolls her eyes and starts grabbing the dirty plates off the table. When she finally has all our dinner plates in the sink she collapses in the chair and bangs her elbow on the table.

"I'm going to die!" Grace screams dramatically.

Mom smiles "Don't worry honey, it's nothing a kiss won't fix."

Grace jumps out of her chair. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

Mom looks doubtful "I don't know, maybe I should kiss your boo boo just in case."

Grace runs out of the kitchen/dining room with Mom following her. Good they're finally gone. I walk silently to the freezer like the super ninja I am and take an ice cream bar out.

"I told you." Grace's voice says in her confident way. I turn around and start walking out of the- wait what? Grace's voice?

I turn around. Grace and my mom are standing in the kitchen with identical looks of triumph.

"Fang, put the ice cream back in the freezer." Mom orders me.

I sigh and do what she says.

"Grace, you can have a cookie." Mom says.

Grace grins and skips over to the cookie jar and takes out a cookie.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I helped catch a criminal," Grace says superiorly.

"So now I'm a criminal?" I ask.

"Yup!" Grace says.

I trip her when she walks past me.

Grace slowly stands up. Then she attacks me.

**Lacey: Yes! I finally did it! I finished this chapter! This story is going to be soooo much fun to write! Anyways, review for any reason. Constructive criticism is appreciated.  
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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Circus

_Max POV_

"Did you hear the news? Did you hear the news? Did you hear the news?" Iggy asks jumping up and down like an excited two year old.

"What news?" I ask even though I'm pretty sure I know what he's talking about.

"The circus is coming to town! You have to take me, Max!" Iggy says excitedly.

I roll my eyes. "Iggy, you're sixteen. I think you're old enough to go to the circus alone."

"But, Maxie, it won't be any fun without you." Iggy whines.

I look at his pathetic attempt at a pout.

I sigh. "Fine I'll go with you, but you're paying for my ticket."

Iggy grins. "Awesome, come on let's go get tickets!"

"Where do we get tickets anyways?" I ask.

Iggy stops and thinks.

"How 'bout I find out and we go get the tickets tomorrow." Iggy says.

"Sure, bye Iggy." I say.

"See ya Maxie!" Iggy calls.

I slowly walk home.

**-This line is called Elmo-**

"Hi Max, could you fill a pot of water for our soup?" Mom asks when I get home.

"Soup again?" I ask.

"Sorry, but that's the only thing I have the ingredients for." She apologizes.

I sigh and grab our soup pot out of the cupboard and put it into the sink. While the pot fills up with water I think about the circus. I've never seen a real circus before because not a lot of circuses want to perform in Nowheresville, USA.

"Max? Max! Turn off the faucet!" My mom screams at me.

"Huh? I ask unintelligibly. Then I notice that my clothes are soaked and I'm standing in a puddle of water. I turn the faucet off and stare at the mess I've made.

My mom leaves the kitchen and comes back with a pile of towels. She tosses me a towel and gets down on her hands and knees and starts soaking up the puddle of water.

"Quick, help me clean up the mess before your father get's home."

I catch the towel and lay it over part of the puddle. I grab another towel and lay that on the floor too.

"I'm sorry, Mom." I tell her.

She just smiles.

Finally we finish soaking up the water and I throw the towels in the laundry hamper. When I come back in the kitchen my mom is putting the cornbread in the oven.

"Max, would you start setting the table?" Mom asks.

I nod and walk over to the silverware drawer. I pull out three napkins and enough spoons, forks, and knifes for all three of us. Then I set them on the table. I grab three bowls and put them on the counter next to the stove and I set out plates on the table.

Then I hear the front door open and close. Jeb is home.

My mom goes to greet him and I stay in the kitchen stirring the soup.

"Hello, Jeb. How was your day?" I can hear Mom ask him.

I can imagine her taking his jacket and putting it in the coat closet.

"Fine, Valencia. What's for dinner?" Jeb asks.

I can imagine my mom's thin smile. "We're having chicken noodle soup and cornbread."

"Can't you make anything that's not soup?" He asks her.

"That was what we had the ingredients for and I didn't want the food to go to waste." She tells Jeb.

He ignores her and stomps into the kitchen. I start filling the bowls with soup.

"Hey, Dad, dinner is almost served." I tell him.

He nods and sits down at the dinner table.

I bring the bowls to the table and my mom pulls the corn bread out of the oven and puts it in the center of the table.

"Careful, it's hot." She warns, then she sits down and eats her dinner.

Me and my mom are both silent. We're waiting to see what Jeb will do.

He finishes his dinner and stands like he has an announcement. Mom stops eating but I ignore him. It's a mistake.

"Maximum! Pay attention!" I stop eating.

"I will be going to bed early tonight. If one of you wakes me up you will be punished. "He announces.

Then Jeb stomps to his room.

I finish my dinner and sit back in my chair.

"I think you should go to bed now." Mom says.

"Just because Jeb went to bed early doesn't mean I should too." I argue.

My mom sighs. "Please, Max?"

I leave the dining room and walk up the small spiral staircase that leads to the attic that's my room.

**Lacey:** **Sorry, that was kind of fillerish. Hope you enjoyed it anyways.**

**R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 – Liar  


_Fang POV_

I'm taking down the lights strung along the telephone poles on the edge of the path up to the circus tent when Grace finds me. I unhook the string lights from the pole and drop them. Grace catches the lights and starts stuffing them into a huge, industrial strength plastic bag. I climb down the pole.

"So… Nick," Grace is the only one who still uses my real name, "can I ride in the truck with you, please?" She asks.

"There's no way Mom and Dad would let you ride in the truck." I tell her.

"Well," she says slyly, "I was thinking that we wouldn't tell them."

I sigh. "I'm a terrible liar, you know that."

Grace groans.

"I can't believe I forgot! Well, I guess now I have to ride with Gran in the trailer." There's a mischievous look in her eyes when she says that, though. I tell myself I didn't see it because that way I can't ruin whatever lie she's planning.

Grace drops the plastic bag in front of me and starts climbing the next telephone pole just as Gran walks around the side of the trailer.

"Wait, Grace, don't-"I try to warn her.

Gran cuts me off. "Elizabeth Ride! Get down from there this instant! No young lady in my family should be seen doing men's work!"

Grace lets go of the telephone pole and lands softly in the dirt. She looks angry at Gran for using her middle name.

"My name is Grace." Grace says defiantly.

"Go help your mother prepare lunches, Elizabeth." Gran tells her.

Grace crosses her arms.

"No" She tells her stubbornly.

Gran glares at her and Grace flinches.

"You have already disgraced your family, Elizabeth, now go help your mother."

I tense and get ready to defend Grace. But she takes a step back and stomps on my foot. I wince but manage not to cry out in pain.

"Yes, Gran" Grace says. Then she walks back to the trailer. Gran follows her.

**-This is Mary the pretend line break-**

Later, when all our stuff is packed and all the lunches have been handed out we're finally ready to leave. I get into the truck and stick the keys in the ignition. I watch the rest of the cars and trailers pull out of the now empty lot and head to the freeway. I'm about to follow when the passenger door opens and Grace climbs in.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Grace buckles her seat belt. "Hurry up and follow them. If they come back to check on you I'm screwed."

I shift gears and follow the rest of my family.

"How did you get out of the trailer without Mom and Dad noticing?" I merge onto the freeway.

Grace grins. "I told them that I was going to ride with Aunt Jen."

I glance over at her. "What if they talk to Jen to find out if you actually rode with her?"

Grace rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right, like Aunt Jen would rat me out to Mom and Dad. She's way too cool for that."

I don't answer. Grace pulls out her makeup bag and starts putting makeup on around her eyes. She smiles at the mirror on the sun visor.

"Hey, Nick, can I ask you something?" Grace says.

"Sure." I tell her.

"How much longer?" She whines.

I grab a crumpled flyer for our circus and throw it at her head. "We just left. You're not allowed to whine yet."

**Time Skip**

Grace jumps out of the still moving truck and runs over to where Aunt Jen and our younger cousins are waiting for the rest of the family to get here. I park the truck and join them.

Grace is kneeling in front of Angel and Gazzy. "Okay guys, I need you to do me the hugest favor. If my parents ask if I rode with you guys I need you to lie to them and say that I did."

"Why don't you just explain why you want to ride in the truck instead of lying to them?" Angel asks innocently.

Grace sighs and pats Angel's shoulder. "Unfortunately I don't have your powers of persuasion."

She looks over her shoulder and sees our parents. "Oh, there they are. Come on, Nick, let's go tell them how much fun I had with Angel and Gazzy on the ride over here."

When we're out of earshot I look at Grace and smirk. "Powers of persuasion? Really Grace?"

"Tell me those Bambi eyes aren't a superpower." She says.

**And BAM! two more of our favorite characters from the flock are introduced. Now the only one missing is Nudge. Anyway, I am so sorry I didn't write this earlier. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Remember to review! Reviews are great motivation to write the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Running Comentary  


_Max POV_

"How would you like to see amazing feats of contortion? Come visit the Circus of Hoops and Fire."

Iggy and I are walking down the street when we see a dark haired girl handing out flyers for a circus. The girl bends over backward and walks over to us on her hands

"Hey, we want to see the circus!" Iggy tells her. "Where do we get tickets?"

The girl grins and twists so she's standing on her feet again. "That's awesome. We're selling tickets down the street in the white shack near the fairgrounds. The guy at the cashier is my brother."

"Cool." I tell her half-heartedly.

"Really?" The girl asks me happily. "Because most people think I'm weird for being in the circus."

Then the girl shoves a flyer at me and cartwheels off to the next potential customer. Iggy jumps up and down next to me.

"Isn't this exciting, Maxie? Let's go get tickets!" He skips off down the street.

I follow him, grumbling. "How many times do I have to tell him not to call me that?"

When we finally get to the front of the line to buy tickets the black haired boy stares at us. I wait for him to say something but he doesn't.

"We'd like to buy two tickets for the circus." Iggy tell the boy enthusiastically.

"That will cost thirty dollars" the boy tells him.

We pull out our wallets and both hand the boy fifteen dollars. He hands us our tickets.

As we walk away I comment to Iggy. "Well, he was talkative."

**-Time Skip-**

The circus is awesome. The boy from the ticket booth is 'Fang, the Great Lion Tamer' and he's actually pretty good at what he does. The girl that handed us our flyer is 'Contessa the Contortionist'. And a cute little blonde girl who they didn't introduce stood still while a man threw knives at her.

"Boo!" A voice behind me said.

I turned around and saw the contortionist. She pushed me and Iggy to the side and sat down between us.

"Hey Contessa." I say.

She smiles at me. "Actually, you can call me Grace. Contessa is just my stage name."

That surprises me. Why would they make them change their names to perform?

"I'm Max." I tell her.

"I'm Iggy." Iggy says.

"Hey, do you see that guy on stage? He's my uncle." Grace tells us. I prepare myself for a running commentary about the rest of the show.


End file.
